FFP managing editor Ryan Hoffman here, filling in for Matthew today … which seems mildly unfair given our respective alma maters and last night’s football game (excuse me while I sulk over a bowl of Cincinnati chili). Fortunately, we have plenty of good stories to share. Let’s get into it.
That smell: Robert Huntley took a day off work, thinking he’d enjoy his birthday. But the Norfolk wastewater plant superintendent’s day off was cut short: milk had spilled into a gulch that feeds into the Elkhorn River. It was, at the time, just the latest problem caused by Actus Nutrition’s expanded dairy processing plant.
In the span of a year, the plant racked up 284 violations, stressing the staff tasked with keeping wastewater clean, catching the attention of state and federal leaders, and creating a predicament in Norfolk.
The plant has provided a lifeline to the region’s struggling dairy farmers, making it a critical piece of the local economy. But it also has caused an awful odor in town and jeopardized public health.
After repeated attempts to find a solution, the city finally took action. The company, for its part, says it remains committed to working with the city.
Reporter Joshua Shimkus dug into this smelly saga for his latest FFP story.
Somebody’s watching me: Federal officials tasked with carrying out President Trump’s immigration crackdown are turning to a local policing tool hidden in plain sight.
Records obtained by FFP reporter Emily Wolf show that authorities have searched traffic surveillance cameras in Nebraska’s two largest counties at least 20 times for immigration-related cases this year.
The cameras, supplied by Flock Security, are a useful tool, says Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, noting their use in the arrest of the alleged gang leader.
But groups like the ACLU of Nebraska, which has long voiced privacy concerns over the cameras, see their use for immigration enforcement as a troubling development.
You can read Emily’s excellent reporting here.
Remembering a horrific killing: Emmett Till was just 14 when he was tortured and killed by two white men in Mississippi. The brutality of the case galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and reverberated throughout the country, including in Omaha, where Emmett’s mother visited during her campaign to keep his story alive.
Deborah Watts, Emmett’s then 2-year-old cousin, remembers the terror of seeing a photo of his disfigured body. She didn’t know it then, but it launched Watts on her own mission to propel Emmett’s legacy forward, which continues 70 years after his death, reports FFP correspondent Brady Oltmans.
A good breakfast is hard to find: Downtown Omaha is no stranger to great restaurants. But when it comes to that all important first meal of the day, the options are few and far between. That partially explains the skyrocketing popularity of Flora Cafe. But equally important: The food is really good, writes Sarah Baker Hansen in her latest FFP review.
Going fast: As I write this Friday morning, we have just 71 tickets left for the 3rd annual Flatwater Free Press Festival, taking place Sept. 17 at Kiewit Luminarium. If you want to celebrate great journalism — and enjoy some delicious food and fantastic live music while doing so — I wouldn’t wait to get your ticket.
In addition to being able to gloat to my face about the Huskers’ win at Arrowhead, you can hear from legendary New York Times Editor Dean Baquet, who will join Matthew onstage for a must-see conversation. And of course, you can chat up the amazing Flatwater reporters who make all of this possible. I hope to see you there.
Learn more about the evening’s festivities and buy your ticket here.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Thanks for reading,
—Ryan Hoffman, managing editor
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- The Trump administration’s elimination of a grant program for solar projects may force cities and towns across the U.S., including in Nebraska, to abandon the projects, reports Molly Ashford with
Harvest Public Media. - A recent cattle sale in Valentine shattered several national records, reports Casey Wonnenberg at News Channel Nebraska. I’m guessing those record-high beef prices won’t be coming down anytime soon.
- The Knox County Board dismissed two employees and suspended the county attorney over security breaches at the county courthouse, reports Austin Svehla at the Norfolk Daily News.
- Days after Gov. Jim Pillen announced plans to convert a McCook prison into an ICE detention center, local officials said they still largely remained in the dark. The Journal Star’s Jenna Ebbers traveled to McCook to get the local reaction. (Note: The LJS has dropped its paywall for the holiday weekend — no subscription needed.)
- Speaking of the governor’s plan, the chair of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee said it would be “premature” to hold a hearing on the matter, reports 10/11 NOW. Democratic lawmakers requested the hearing, noting that power to determine management of the facility rests with the Legislature.
- The latest citizen-led effort to cut property taxes is taking a major swing. If successful, the campaign could cut billions of dollars in property taxes, which primarily fund local schools, reports Zach Wendling at the Nebraska Examiner.
- North Platte is feeling the expected housing crunch from the opening of a new beef processing plant, reports Todd von Kampen at the North Platte Telegraph. (Note: The Telegraph has dropped its paywall for the holiday weekend — no subscription needed.)
- The Trump administration is threatening to pull $764,000 from a Nebraska program designed to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The administration claims it promotes “gender ideology,” reports Luna Stephens at the Omaha World-Herald. (Note: The OWH has dropped its paywall for the holiday weekend — no subscription needed.)
- Omaha City Council rejected an effort to eliminate mention of diversity, equity and inclusion from the 2026 city budget. As WOWT’s John Chapman noted, the term appears twice in the nearly 500-page document.
